International Psychogeriatrics
Volume 15, Supplement 1 - 2003
Potential Biological Markers for Cerebrovascular Disease ALEXANDER KURZ, MATTHIAS RIEMENSCHNEIDER, AND ANDERS WALLIN
ABSTRACT. Cerebrovascular diseases can cause cognitive impairment and dementia by loss of
neurons and synaptic connections, destruction of axons, and demyelinization. Biological markers
including genetic tests, brain imaging techniques, and biochemical assays in the CSF are
valuable for the identification and quantification of cerebrovascular diseases. Genetic tests
may be used to detect mutations that cause hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathies or cerebral
autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy
(CADASIL). Structural CT and MR imaging is routinely used to visualize and quantify infarcts and
white-matter changes. Functional SPET and PET imaging can demonstrate focal and remote effects
of vascular lesions on cerebral blood flow and metabolism. Biochemical imaging using proton MRS
is a nonspecific marker for neuronal and axonal damage. Among biochemical markers in the
CSF, tau protein, phosphotau, and beta amyloid protein are helpful to differentiate vascular dementia
from Alzheimer’s disease.
